What Education Outside of Your Current Profession Have Your Explored To Build For the Future?

What have been some of your favorite education/courses/books you have completed or are interested in pursuing outside of your current profession?

I am fascinated how people can expand outside their current role to pursue other avenues of education and explore their curiosity. Learning and developing skills that indirectly make you better personally (life) and professionally (craft). Increasing your current circle of competence through increasing your range across disciplines. Even with the pressure to solely focusing on the primary craft that is provides financial stability.

For example, I am currently a Performance Coach at the University of Portland. Investing in both strength & conditioning related topics as well as other areas to grow.

I believe the process of exploring and discovering different interests has made me a better coach and better human being. Developing knowledge and wisdom outside of your specific role helps you connect the dots in the future as you develop more range and expand your circle of competence.

Examples I have completed previously.

• Audience Building Course learning the principles of building a high leverage audience in 4 days by Sahil Bloom.

• Ship 30 for 30 a cohort-based course teaching you the fundamentals of writing on the internet by Dickie Bush & Nicolas Cole.

• Decision by Design learning the skills and systems you need to master decision-making by Shane Parrish & Farnam Street.

• Training Jiu Jitsu at Renzo Gracie Academy Portland with Aaron Milam.

• Coaching of Oxygen Advantage Breathing Principles by Chris Villanella.

• Community Engagement and Personal Development with the Great Day Squad by Ben Kenyon.

• Finding Your Best by Michael Gervais and Compete to Create Group.

The question that sparked this was, what coursework and education can we dive into to maximize our current role while also preparing for the future? To answer that we must then identify what skills are important. To start this process I first started to consolidate a list of what I have done in the past.

Previously a lot of my education was directly driven to support my pursuit of being the best Performance Coach that I can be. Within my 20s almost all of my time and resources was directed in the developing in that area. Which in some way I feel is normal once you identify a direction in your 20s.

The question caused me to pause and think deeper on what ways are we growing to prepare for the future, outside of reading books. Specifically with coursework, as I have attended many strength and conditioning related conferences or purchased online courses. Development in topics outside of your current role could include financial education, leadership, emotional intelligence, managing difficult conversations, negotiation, parenting, investments in your health, or self-discovery the list could go on and on as you expand out your topics.

What courses would you want your team to take as a leader? Financial education for your new hires? Creating tiers to education that your provide your team to continue to develop them and compensate them outside of a paycheck. Compensate them in knowledge they have with them forever either making them better at their current role or move on to pursue their path of fulfillment.

I am very curious in how others in the coaching world as well as other professionals continue to learn within their profession and outside of it.

I would love you hear all of your thoughts or recommendations.